April 19, 2018 – The Nevada Irrigation District (NID) began seasonal irrigation water deliveries on Sunday, April 15.
“Unseasonably wet storms have led to a slow and fluctuating start to the season, but the District remains hard at work attempting to deliver adequate water while managing canal flows for storm runoff events,” said Chip Close, NID’s water operations manager.
NID serves about 5,400 customers who irrigate more than 31,000 acres with untreated “raw” water in Placer and Nevada counties. At its April 11 Board meeting, the District announced its customers will receive full deliveries this season, with reservoir storage at 248,675 acre-feet – or 137 percent of average – as of March 31.
NID’s Irrigation water is collected from 70,000 acres of Sierra Nevada watershed, stored for a period of time in NID’s reservoirs and then released into the District’s 420-mile long canal system. Raw water customers, including farmers and ranchers, connect into the canal systems to irrigate their pastures, orchards and farms.
Raw water is used throughout NID’s 287,000-acre boundary for agriculture irrigation on pasture for cattle, sheep and horses, on farms for grapes, apples, peaches, nuts, berries, corn, rice, wheat and oats, and for commercial irrigation for golf courses, gardens, nurseries, orchards and vineyards.
NID’s raw water deliveries fill ponds and reservoirs for stock watering, fire suppression and recreation throughout the District. Availability of irrigation water is an important factor in the preservation of open space, industry and local culture.
NID was formed by public vote in 1921 specifically to provide water for irrigation purposes. Today, NID supplies water annually for irrigation, municipal, domestic and industrial purposes to Nevada and Placer Counties. Learn more at www.nidwater.com